Chicken law needs work

The current Placer County proposal to allow three hens on single family and now multi-family residential parcels is well intended but seriously flawed. Without input from the agencies and organizations that will be directly involved, such as Animal Control, Code Enforcement, etc., tax-payer funded time will be spent responding to complaint calls and neighborhood hassles. The Planning Department states that they do not want to regulate what people can and cannot do with their property. However, this posturing borders on absurd, especially since current zoning now bans not only hens but also roosters, guinea hens, and other animals. The driving wind and rains of the past few days emphasize the need to require protective enclosures for these animals at the very least. However, the proposed amendment does nothing to address enclosures or chicken coops that will be critical for raising hens for any purposes. The County should not rush to retrofit a zoning change before doing its homework. Do it right or don’t do it at all.
Randall Cleveland, Newcastle